The fuel injector is believed to be an integral component of fuel systems, which deliver fuel to intake valves, and/or the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. It is believed that engine performance can be improved by minimizing injector performance variance. It is also believed that injector performance variance can be minimized via controlling the spray direction, the spray particle size, the spray mass flow, and the spray pattern in a repeatable fashion.
It is believed that in known injector designs, the orifices are generally located in close proximity to one another inline with the fuel flow path created by the interaction of the needle/seat geometry within the fuel injector. It is further believed that the resulting spray characteristics may be influenced by interaction between flow streams associated with the orifices due to the close proximity of the orifices to one another. It is also believed that resulting spray characteristics may be influenced by variations in upstream geometry due to the close proximity of the orifices to the needle/seat geometry.
The present invention provides a fuel spray device for a fuel injector. The fuel injector has a longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end of the fuel injector. A closure member extends along the longitudinal axis in a first position contiguous to a seat to occlude fuel flow to the second end and a second position permitting fuel flow to the second end. The closure member has a sealing radius when the closure member is in the first position. The device comprises a plate disposed proximate to the seat, the plate having a first face and a second face, the first face having an inlet, the second face having at least one chamber disposed thereon, the at least one chamber being in fluid communication with the inlet; an orifice disc disposed in a confronting arrangement with the second face of the plate, the orifice disc having an axis generally coincident with the longitudinal axis; and at least one orifice located at a second radius from the axis of the orifice disc, wherein the second radius is greater than the sealing radius.
The present invention further provides for a fuel injector. The fuel injector comprises an injector body including an inlet, an outlet, and a passageway extending along a longitudinal axis, the passageway providing fuel flow from the inlet to the outlet of the injector body; a closure member positionable in the passageway between a first position blocking the passageway and another position permitting fuel flow; a seat contiguous to the closure member to form a sealing radius when the closure member is in the first position; a plate disposed adjacent the seat, the plate having a first face and a second face, the first face having a generally circular inlet, the second face having at least one chamber in fluid communication with the generally circular inlet; and an orifice disc in a confronting arrangement with the second face of the plate, the orifice disc including at least one orifice located about an axis of the orifice disc at a distance greater than the sealing radius.
The present invention additionally provides a method of forming a spray nozzle for a fuel injector. The fuel injector has an inlet, an outlet, and a passageway extending along a longitudinal axis. The fuel injector further includes a closure member movable in the passageway between one position blocking the passageway and another position permitting fuel flow, and a seat contiguous to the closure member to form a sealing radius when the closure member is positioned to block the passageway. The method comprises forming an inlet in a first face of a plate and at least one chamber in a second face of the plate, the first face of the plate facing the seat; and forming at least one orifice on a disc, the at least one orifice disposed at a second radius greater than the sealing radius, the disc located in a confronting arrangement with the second face of the plate.
The present invention further provides a method of generating multiple streams of atomized fuel from a fuel injector. The fuel injector has a passageway extending along a longitudinal axis, and a closure member movable in the passageway between one position blocking the passageway and another position permitting fuel flow. The fuel injector also contains a seat contiguous to the closure member which defines a sealing radius when the closure member is positioned in the one position, and a plate having a first and second face. The plate disposed in a stack like arrangement between the seat and an orifice disk. The plate has an inlet disposed in the first face and a plurality of chambers disposed in the second face. The plurality of chambers disposed in a confronting arrangement with at least one orifice. The method comprises directing fuel through the inlet toward the plurality of chambers; and emitting fuel through the at least one orifice located at a radius greater than the sealing radius such that at least one specified spray pattern is obtained from the fuel injector.